


where you start

by Geek_and_Nina



Series: Hope/Josie [15]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Homework, Hosie, bed sharing, does Hope even do homework...ever?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26072056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geek_and_Nina/pseuds/Geek_and_Nina
Summary: So...maybe Hope has been so busy with monster fighting that shes has neglected any and all school work
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Series: Hope/Josie [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506473
Comments: 8
Kudos: 113
Collections: its hosie





	1. Chapter 1

“So you’re telling me that this project is worth 30% of your grade… you’ve known about it all year,... and _this_ is when you choose to start?” Josie asked Hope, who sat at her desk with her head in her hands groaning.

“Well, I’ve been a bit busy with trying to save the school from monsters, trying to save the school from the dark magic manifestation of your inner darkness, and my own debilitating private life. My actual school work has been the _least_ of my worries. Especially after having been enrolled at Mystic Falls high for a while. I certainly wasn’t doing any studying while trapped in Josie Wonderland.” Hope laughed dryly, little to no humor in her voice.

“That’s understandable, and I guess with the life you’ve led it doesn’t seem important, but if you ever want a higher education, you’ll need good grades and a good GPA. Look to your future, Hope, because I am here to insist that you’ll have one.” Josie’s voice was sweet and stubborn, just like the rest of her. “Besides, imagine what your Aunt Freya would say. I’m still not sure that she’s forgiven me for the incident in New Orleans.I don't want to put myself any further into her crosshairs."

Hope had to laugh at that. She was the only one to have heard both sides of that story. Both versions were vastly different retellings. Hope could tell there was a small part of Josie that worried Freya Mikaelson might one day come and seek her vengeance upon the much much younger witch, despite Hope’s many reassurances that her aunt was a very sweet woman. She’d only burned down one _small_ village when her magic had been out of control.

“Okay, okay. I give in. Please, don’t tattle. Could you at least give me a hand? I don’t even remember the last time I was in these classes.” Hope shot Josie her best puppy dog eyes, a small smile pulling at her lips. Wide blue eyes and pouty lower lip were practically irresistible. Josie sighed heavily, as though doing so would be a gigantic pain in the ass.

“Fine.” she agreed, but Josie’s soft smile gave her away. Hope chuckled as well. Josie hip-checked the tribrid over a few inches so they could share the desk chair, clearing her throat and pretending not to blush. She hadn’t been that close to Hope Mikaelson in a long while. The feeling was always a shock that took a good minute to adjust to…. Addictive as well.

“Now, did you have any idea of what topic you might want to choose?” Josie asked once she remembered how to form words into sentences again. She focused on the task at hand to distract herself from how nice Hope smelled.

Despite herself, Josie spent the entire night sitting in that chair, on the bed, or standing over the girl she’d been sporting a crush on for nearly five years. The work felt a lot like work, but Josie didn’t mind as much as she would have because… it meant spending time with Hope. There was nowhere Josie honestly would have rather been. The longer Hope stayed awake, the more relaxed and even rather funny she became a rarely seen side of the second to youngest Mikaelson. She didn’t see Hope laugh nearly enough. It was a beautiful sight.

Hope was finishing up the last paragraph and narrating the writing aloud as Josie laid back listening, across the bed. She was barely awake, and the sound of the other girl’s voice was so soothing that she could feel herself slipping away.

“You… you’re doing _super_ good, Hope. I have every faith in the world in…. in you.” Josie curled up around and on top of a pillow in a ball. She yawned heavily, drawing Hope’s attention just as she finished the paper and Josie finally fell completely asleep.

Hope sat back in her seat and smiled softly at how sweet Josie looked. Maybe she could have done this paper on her own… she was more than smart enough but enjoyed Josie’s company and valued her opinion. After a moment’s consideration, Hope dug inside the oak chest at the foot of her bed and emerged with a soft and cuddly blanket. She pulled the ankle boots off of Josie’s feet and set them on top of the chest before tucking Josie in. Hope brushed the hair out of Josie’s eyes before showering and changing into her pajamas.

Before going to sleep herself, Hope shot Lizzie Saltzman a burned paper message, letting her know where her twin was and to request a clean outfit in the morning, knowing the younger girl would be up for her morning yoga anyhow. She turned her phone off without waiting for a response. Hope laid out two of her uniforms just in case Josie needed one. She wanted to be sure the other girl was taken care of.

Once every one of Hope’s anxieties had been quelled to the best of her current ability, Hope slid beneath her the duvet and sheet, two layers below Josie, on top of the covers with one blanket. Hope hoped Josie would be all set in the morning.

It took a long time for Hope to fall asleep, her heart pounding with the knowledge that Josie was in the same bed she was sleeping on. An important distinction. She felt as though she had only slept for a second when she woke up. An arm was slung across her stomach and warm breath fluttered rhythmically against her collarbone, where after a moment, she realized Josie’s head was nestled in against her. Hope stayed perfectly still, trying to memorize every moment and feeling until the alarm inevitably went off. Until then, she decided to stay still and wonder why Josie would be so willing to trust her.

Josie stirred quietly, shortly before Hope was due to wake up, her hand clenching at Hope’s shirt, and her body curling closer into the older girl. A small, indiscernible sound escaped her and Josie hid her face in Hope’s shoulder. Finally daring to move, Hope rubbed Josie’s back softly, hoping to soothe her as she struggled with the surprise of the amount of contact.

At her touch, Josie started awake, pushing herself up and onto her arms as she came into consciousness, her face now hovering only a handful of inches above Hope’s. Instinctively, Hope reached up to cup her cheek, searching Josie’s dark eyes with her own.

“Hey there, are you okay? You suddenly grabbed my shirt like it was a lifeline or something. Bad dream?” Hope asked as Josie panted and tried to regain her breath. It had been the exact opposite of a bad dream but she would never have admitted to that. Instead, earnest and concerned oceanic eyes stared up into her own as though the meaning of life itself were hidden in there somewhere.

“Of course I am. I doubt there is a safer place in the world than this.” Josie mumbled, her thoughts escaping her mouth without the permission of her mind. Still half-asleep, Josie lowered herself back down into the unfairly comfortable crook of Hope's shoulder and go back to sleep. It must have been some other, more primal part of Josie’s being that demanded the detour to plant her lips slowly and softly across Hope’s.

She melted across the tribrid, not worried about her body weight when it came to likely the most powerful individual in the world. All Josie thought about were the areas they were pressed together and fit so nicely. She was running completely on instinct, Hope responded with warm hands running across her sides, one traveling up into her long dark, loose hair. Josie wondered if it were possible to have a heart attack because of such excitement and… slight sudden overstimulation as Hope’s suddenly wide awake lips parted beneath her own. Josie had truly never felt safer than she did in the circle of Hope Mikaelson’s arms. She was warm, soft, and strong all at once. Everything Josie had wanted but didn’t know she had needed until now.


	2. up all night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so maybe Josie was up all night reading fanfiction and forgot how to be a human the next day

“Josie, you’re usually a bit more...conscious… during classes. Is everything alright?” Hope asked, rubbing soft circles on the young girl's back. Her bleary eyes slowly focused on Hope’s face as she squashed the feeling of wanting to cry; she was so tired.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just got caught up in some light reading last night, and didn’t get much sleep.” Josie asked. She hated how much she loved the feeling of Hope’s hand on her back, the way she felt herself arch into the touch when it trailed across her shoulder blades.

“What were you reading? Anything good?” Hope asked, helping to gather Josie’s things and putting them into her backpack for her, without being asked, and without taking her eyes off of Josie’s face.

“It was, I just wish I’d thought to look at the time before it was already 4 am. It almost would have been better not to sleep at all.” Josie dragged herself to her feet, not even noticing that Hope was carrying her backpack for her and accompanying her to a class in the opposite direction from Hope’s potions seminar. She was just glad to have someone talking to her to help her stay awake. Josie just knew that she had to keep from confessing that she had been up and reading Dare Me fanfics, not even some classy novella.

“I’ve done both and trust me, neither is any more pleasant than the other. I was sleeping on the floor of the AV club at Mystic Falls High back when no one could remember who I was. Luckily, one of my uncles back in New Orleans taught me some good...and quieter, unlocking spells good for thievery and stealthy break-ins. Still, none of that was conducive to a healthy sleep schedule.” Hope chuckled darkly.

“I forget how awful those months must have been for you. I only met one of your aunts while I was there. Freya, a pretty blonde lady who was not a fan of my or that version of me’s attitude problem. I kind of went full Lizzie.”

“I find the idea of a ‘full Lizzie’ Josie kind of terrifying. I don’t think I would like her as much as the version I’ve got now.” Hope said with a small smile, taking Josie’s hand in her own. Josie didn’t know if she was so tired that she was seeing things or if she was dreaming, but Hope seemed to be smiley and happy. Content, even. It was somewhat uncharacteristic. Maybe in a world that wasn’t continuously being plagued by monsters, Hope would be this way all the time. A happy family in New Orleans, and no self-sacrifice for herself or her family. The only downside Josie could see was that there would never have been a reason for them to have met. Somehow that seemed completely unacceptable.

“Alright, this is your magical history class. Remember that if you hear a question about someone being evil, the answer is probably ‘Hope’s dad’... or any of my other family members.” Hope continued to talk as she draped the shoulders of Josie’s backpack across Josie’s shoulders, took out the appropriately labeled textbooks and notebooks, and put them into the younger girl’s arms. “I’ll make you a pick me up drink and have it ready for you by the time this class is out, okay? I’ll find you. Just focus on staying awake. Doodle and take notes. You’ll do great.”

Hope quickly kissed Josie’s cheek and took off at a jog for her class. Josie was left staring agape and wondering at what had just happened.


End file.
